Dwight Howard looks to get comfortable with his midrange jumper

[Ashy Larry]

Orlando Magic fans have their own early autumn ritual: They wonder if Dwight Howard has developed more nuances to his offensive game.
It’s far too early to determine if the all-star center will unleash an arsenal of new low-post moves or an improved outside shot, but Stan Van Gundy did say that Howard sank a few turnaround jumpers during Tuesday’s scrimmage time.


As all of Central Florida knows by now, Howard spent several days in June working out with Hakeem Olajuwon.


The former Houston Rockets great showed Howard some moves. But Howard has said that the biggest takeaway might have been Olajuwon’s suggestion (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/2010/08/dwight-howard-in-no-mood-to-talk-about-the-miami-heat.html#more-11441) that Howard not be afraid to try new things during the regular season.


And Howard insisted on Tuesday that he won’t be timid about trying more jumpers — at least in practice.


“I’ve just got to keep shooting,” Howard said. “That’s the only way you’re going to get comfortable: just keep trying things. The more you try, the better you’ll get at it. I’m not worried about that.”

How much will Van Gundy want Howard to try those midrange jumpers in a game?


Well, we’ll see in the weeks and months ahead. Van Gundy knows Howard is the team’s linchpin on defense, and Van Gundy obviously wants Howard’s dominance on the defensive end of the court to continue.


“People want to make everything in this league about offense,” Van Gundy said. “But the bottom line is he’s the Defensive Player of the Year in this league for a couple of years, and leading the league in blocked shots and rebounding is not an easy thing to do.



Those are the most important things he does. He knows that. When he’s doing those things he’s impacting the game in a positive way regardless. That’s where he needs to keep his mindset. Then his offense will come. He just needs to feel free offensively.”


http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/2010/09/dwight-howard-looks-to-get-comfortable-with-his-midrange-jumper.html



The NBA prays he stay around 13-15 feet away from the basket. Dude already has no post up game and this will only make it easier for the Heat and C's. Go Magic. :lmao

[Killakobe81]

even if you want Dwight outside it only makes sense for his career growth that he expands his game. I hope he does. I know he is limited on offense but I would take him over bynum, bogut, yao, Oden or any other center ...

[Ashy Larry]

I would take him over Bynum as well ..... hell, he wouldn't even have to score

[sefant77]

He is the Tracy McGrady of the non injured player.

Every year the same blablabla and nothing changes....

[picc84]

I'd hate for him to start shooting jumpers and go the way of the underachieving, 3rd tier big-men (Dirk, D-Rob, etc.).

Dwight needs to stick to developing his post-game, adding moves every year.

[024]

isn't that what he said last year?

[sefant77]

isn't that what he said last year?

No last year was his FT, like the years before...

[benefactor]

He needs to get with a good shooting coach a la Chip Engelland and complete rework his shot from top to bottom. Just standing out there shooting isn't going to make it any better if he doesn't adjust the way he is shooting them.

[ogait]

It's not a matter of him staying away from the basket, that will obviously never happen, but when defending a player on the post is easier if he has to finish all his plays near the basket because he can be defended always the same way and can be given space when he gets the ball far from the basket. If he could at least have something resembling a mid range shot it would help his overall post game so it's nod a bad thing if he can hit some open looks because it will force defenders to get closer to him and as fast as he is he can take advantage of that.

But as usual it's always a lot of talk, I don't think he can improve that much on just one off season, Hakeem is not a miracle maker and besides Stan van Gundy said they only practice together a few times. He will probably never be an elite player on offence but he´s by far the best on defence.

[Venti Quattro]

even if you want Dwight outside it only makes sense for his career growth that he expands his game. I hope he does. I know he is limited on offense but I would take him over bynum, bogut, yao, Oden or any other center ...

With our lineup he wouldn't need to score. But in Orlando he needs to.

[HarlemHeat37]

Howard clearly improved last year..if you didn't really watch many Magic games, I could see why somebody would think that, since the playoffs saw Howard struggle against Boston, which isn't really a matter of whether he improved, but more a matter of a team that just defends him better than anybody else does..

Howard's post-game was much, much improved last year..they gave him the ball more, he actually took his time for some of his moves, he added a few counter moves, he started using the backboard occasionally..his post moves were easily improved..

Howard's main problem is that he lacks touch on his shots..he doesn't have any ability to put any spin on it, and he doesn't have any ability to put it in softly..his other problem is that he's still mentally weak..

Against Boston, it was evident..he stopped using the post moves he added and that he was using regularly during the regular season, he had no ability to adjust against Perkins and Wallace overplaying him, he let the refs get in his head..his weak mentality is the biggest problem with his game IMO..

[Zelophehad]

He needs to get with a good shooting coach a la Chip Engelland and complete rework his shot from top to bottom. Just standing out there shooting isn't going to make it any better if he doesn't adjust the way he is shooting them.

This. I still don't think that would work because except for rare circumstances if a player really can't shoot he usually never develops the ability to become a good shooter. A ton of fans talk matter of factly about when this player or that player develops a jumper they'll be great. Like its just a simple thing that if they work on it hard enough it will happen, but the history of the NBA is littered with bad shooters who never become good ones no matter how hard they worked on their. Its so obvious that shooting is a skill and some players no matter how hard they work will never develop that skill but fans still fail to get this.

But really the only way a player who is a significantly poor shooter has a chance to become a good one is if they radically rework the mechanics of their shot.

[Kai]

lol @ DHoward shooting jumpshots.

[Ignignokt]

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

[Veterinarian]

lmao Laker fan acting like its some magnanimous admission to state that they would take Howard over Bynum.

[HarlemHeat37]

lmao Laker fan acting like its some magnanimous admission to state that they would take Howard over Bynum.

:lol:lol:lol

[Giuseppe]

lmao Laker fan acting like its some magnanimous admission to state that they would take Howard over Bynum.

You were magnanimous as well sending me that PM begging me to do your dirty work, Vet.

[Killakobe81]

lmao Laker fan acting like its some magnanimous admission to state that they would take Howard over Bynum.

No one says its an admission, genius. Im just pointing it out because of the bashing he sometimes takes on here and in other NBA forums. Some Laker fans (before the last set of bynum injuries) argued that Bynum had more "upside" ... others constantly rag on his offensive game when really I would take the rebounding dunking and shotblocking anything else is a plus.

[lefty]

Howard is the best center right now, by default;there is no real dominant center left (and Shaq is not dominant anymore)

Shit, if he faced 86-95 Hakeem, he would have been bukakked

[Zelophehad]

No one says its an admission, genius. Im just pointing it out because of the bashing he sometimes takes on here and in other NBA forums. Some Laker fans (before the last set of bynum injuries) argued that Bynum had more "upside" ... others constantly rag on his offensive game when really I would take the rebounding dunking and shotblocking anything else is a plus.
Even bringing the comparison up is retarded.

[z0sa]

Even bringing the comparison up is retarded.

:wakeup

Howard needs to work on his low post game, and nothing else, though.

[JamStone]

I made a post about Dwight's shooting form sometime last year. I don't know why none of Dwight's coaches have ever tried to correct the mechanics to his jumpshot. It's pretty obvious. Look at him shooting free throws. He doesn't use his entire arm to shoot. He shoots short armed with just pushing his forearm forward instead of having a fluid motion using his entire arm to get that good arc on his shot. To compound that problem, he doesn't really use his wrist when he shoots to put appropriate backspin on the basketball. For someone like Patrick Ewing who was known as a good jumpshooting big man, I can't for the life of me understand why they haven't been able to correct Dwight's mechanics and form. Now maybe it's a case of not being able to re-work his mechanics at his age, but it's still mind-boggling.

[boutons_deux]

More proof that being athletic is not knowing how to play basketball

(eg, fundamentals, like how to shoot)